Celebrate National Poetry Month at Vesterheim

Celebrate National Poetry Month on Free First Thursday, April 3, at Vesterheim, the national Norwegian-American museum and heritage center.

The museum is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. with free admission all day.

At 3 p.m. in the lobby of the Main Building, Luther College professor Kari Gronningsaeter and Vesterheim editor Charlie Langton will read poetry with Scandinavian roots.

Come and hear this performance of Scandinavian poets like Olav H. Hauge and Tomas Tranströmer, and Scandinavian-American favorites like Robert Bly and Joseph Langland.

Refreshments will be served.

Throughout the month, let Vesterheim inspire you to write a haiku.

The poems will be displayed on the “Haiku Tree” in the lobby of the Main Building and shared periodically on its Facebook page.

“Everyone notices something different when visiting the museum,” Martha Griesheimer, coordinator of Free First Thursdays, said. “The 17-syllable Japanese poetry form, haiku, is a great way to quickly capture impressions, so we thought it would be fun for visitors to share their thoughts as poems to honor National Poetry Month,” she added.